Bob Abelman
To see a full review of this show, read Bob Abelman's News-Herald article here.
Roy Berko
The first act of THE PITMEN PAINTERS
was filled with laughter and a marvelous series of lessons of art
appreciation. Unfortunately, the
second act was flat, losing much of the awe of the subject matter. The direction, acting, and technical
aspects of the production make the staging worth seeing, in spite of the author
losing his writing focus.
To see a full review of this show, read Roy Berko's blog here.
Fran Heller
Art isn't about finding answers, it's about asking questions, says one of the characters in Lee Hall's deeply moving and vastly entertaining "Pitmen Painters."
This funny, poignant and fiercely intelligent drama from the award winning creator of "Billy Elliott" probes all the right questions about the transformative power of art.
Sarah May's rich direction and a charismatic ensemble strike gold.
To see a full review of this show, read Fran Heller's review at the Cleveland Jewish News
Christine Howey
For 70 minutes, Pitmen is quite lively and amusing, as we follow a quintet of these average Joes as they explore the more ethereal byways of art and creativity. Their rough-hewn candor is charming, and their awakening to new possibilities in their lives is a pleasure to watch. Trouble is, there is an additional 70 minutes filled with so much didactic lecturing and repetitious art-speak that you want to grab these fellows and toss them back into the mines, just to get them to be quiet for a bit.
To see a full review of this show, read Christine Howey's review at Cleveland Scene
Andrea Simakis
THE PITMEN PAINTERS is a cerebral thrill that deconstructs the notional of art and who makes it. It's bracing to watch a group of five working-class stiffs--well played by a tight, gifted ensemble--blossom into canny critics and celebrities.
THE PITMEN PAINTERS is a cerebral thrill that deconstructs the notional of art and who makes it. It's bracing to watch a group of five working-class stiffs--well played by a tight, gifted ensemble--blossom into canny critics and celebrities.
To see a full review of this show, read Andrea Simakis' blog or visit Cleveland.com here.
Kory
The Pitmen Painters is a fun, fly-on-the-wall observation of a group of simple, blue-collar men who approach art from a scientific standpoint, and discover that art isn’t about fact or science, that it’s meaning lies in personal interpretation and feeling.
To see a full review of this show, read Kory's blog here.
